Yetanotherspartacus I have never thought of Syrians as white but I do see favouritism in reporting, help and intervention. She might see that as racism because they are a lighter shade to who she is. My reason for taking back that statement, not completely because I still think she is stupid to say she does not need to educate her self. (No woman is an island regardless of race. When it comes to women there is a point when we all face similar struggles, however, some have it worse than others race and cultures becomes part of it).
The other stupid comment I thought she made was, "what did a woman in a war zone want"? If she had any common sense she would know that the people who are most affected by war are women and children. That includes sexual abuse. The people least likely to escape leaving them in danger.
At the bottom of my post I did state that I can't comment on her other points which are trans and gay/lesbians rights and whether feminist should fight for them.
I personally find it difficult to argue against trans. Mainly, because I feel already like an outsider trying to find my way in and be accepted. But at the same time I see the detrimental effect it will have on both my little girl and my life. It's something I think about and try to figure out how to deal with and I just can't seem to find the answer or compromise.
Re- the South African woman. That is a struggle that most black feminist face. As a black feminist, you are not just fighting for women but you are fighting racism. When you are fighting for equal pay to be both in line with men and white women. When fighting against sexual assault, you are fighting to believed because of your race (there was a time when rape on black women was never considered rape) and and you are a woman who has been raped.
For the South African woman, what she would have been fighting for is to be accepted as a human being on par with her white counter part to even consider whether the work place are going to treat her girls equally to the men.
I think most black feminist are not asking for white feminists to fight for them but to accept the issues when pointed out. Not block it because it's racial or cultural and does not affect them or because they don't understand it, or brush it of as something which does not exist because they have never encountered it. That is why I said above that probably she is talking about of frustration.
The point about putting the brothers first. For black activist, both men and women are below white women on average wage earning. I would also assume that black men in South Africa came below white Afrikaans. So, yes, I can easily see why she would have said that. This applies both in the uk and America too. Not that race comes first but being black and female puts you at the very bottom of the pecking order followed by your husband, son or brother then white women.
This is the reason why people like Alice walker thought that they cannot abandon their men. So they would rather call themselves womanist rather than feminist to appease the middle class white women who could afford to do so based on their socials standing.
I think that sometimes black women go too far in supporting black men and forgetting their own wellbeing. Would I be called names by black men for saying this. The most recent report is that the majority of women who dies at the hands of their partner, Highest average percentage per race is black women. I wonder what they will do about that. I will assume nothing. One, it's not news Worthy and two it has race involved and the group is black women. Black men rarely look inward to think of the women.
Op, maybe you should ask the female if she is saying the same thing about black men and their lack of support of black women. Racially, it's always news when it concerns the black men and women are expected to stand by them and fight the injustice.
Phew! Got that out of me. 